Water meter



5 w. A. WHITE 2,127,195

WATER METER Filed May 3, 1935 INVENTOR ATI'O/PA/E K Patented Aug. 16,1938 UNITED STATES ATET orFicE 10 Claims.

My invention relates to water meters of the type known as disc meters;having nutating pistons for measuring the water as it passes through themeter; and registering mechanism operated by the piston for measuringthe amount of water. It has for its object the control of the verticalcomponent of the movement of nutation of the piston; the reduction ofwear upon the piston; the reduction of eddies and counterstreams in theflow of the water through the measuring chamber; and hence the longerlife of the meter and its greater accuracy over a long period.

In meters of this class the measuring chamber consists of a circular boxhaving a water inlet port and a water outlet port; the ports beingseparated from one another by a division plate. In this box, which ismade in two, and sometimes in three parts, a disc shaped piston is soarranged that water flowing through the chamber will cause it to nutate.Projecting from the vertical axis of the piston is a pin or stem whichis given, by the nutating of the disc, a circular motion; and by whichmotion the piston imparts motion to a train of gears, which in turnactuate the hands of the registering dials.

The durability of the parts moved by the flowing water, and the accuracyof the measurement of the water over a long period, depends upon therunning fit of the parts, and upon the proper nutation of the piston,and the preservation of the piston against wear.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a plan view with the top removed of one form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar View of a slightly modified form;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of another slightly modified form; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, lookingin the direction of the arrow.

In all four figures, the numerals I and 2 represent the upper and lowerhalves of the measuring chamber. The numeral 3 is a disk of the piston,and 4, a central ball from which the disk radiates, and the numeral 5 isa pin extending from the vertical axis of the disk which actuates thetrain of registering gears (not shown) when the piston is nutated by theflow of liquid through the measuring chamber.

The inlet and outlet ports 25 and 26, respectively, in the measuringchamber are separated by the division plate l5c. One edge of thedivision plate is held in a groove in the column 23, as shown in Figs. 1and 3, and one edge of this column is inclined as shown at 2 incontinuation of the sloping surface of the block I40. In theconstruction shown in Fig. 1, this division plate is held in a groovell, which extends from the ball to the outer periphery. The disk has aclearance opening to receive this division plate, and an anti-frictionguide roller Etc is carried by the disk, and this moves up and down in avertical groove or channel M, formed in block E ie on the side of thedivision plate. This groove or channel it. is curved in a vertical planeon a radius struck from the center of the ball as shown in Fig. 4. Theblock tic slopes on its outer surface in order to deflect the waterentering through inlet 25.

In the form shown in Fig, 2, the guide roller itc is at the inner end ofthe division plate E50 and adjacent to the ball 4, and is guided in avertically disposed groove similar to the groove Mi shown in Fig. 4, andformed in the inner edge of the block Mo on the side of the divisionplate 550.

In this form the channel block 540 is provided with an acute edge 29,the purpose of which is to direct the water into the stream flow, asindicated by the arrows, and to reduce the tendency of the water to flowback along the inner surface 3!] of the channel block. This action of anacute edge on a stream flow is known in hydraulics. On the outflow sideof the division plate I 5c the latter is built out to form a streamlinesurface 3! to reduce eddies and countercurrents in the outflowing water.

In the form illustrated in Fig. 3, the groove [4 is located about midwayfrom the ball to the outer periphery, and the anti-friction guide rollerthe is located alongside the division plate on an axis substantiallyparallel with said division plate, and moves up and down in a curvedchannel or groove M, such as that previously described in connectionwith the other forms.

As shown in Fig. 4, the upper and lower halves of the measuring chamberare provided with holes 2! and 22 which provide for the passage of a jetof water through groove M to keep it free of foreign material.

I have now described my improvement wherein I form a guide-rollerchannel or groove on the division plate, and provide for the passing ofa jet of Water down the groove to keep it free from foreign material;and the further improvement wherein I form upon the division plate awatered surface 27! designed to direct the inflowing water into thedesired stream flow around the measuring chamber, and to create acondition approaching equilibrium around the surface of the ball 4 ofthe meter piston.

I do not limit myself to the methods of forming my division plate shownin the drawing, wherein the division plate and the channel-block areintegral, or cast or brazed together. For the division plate can be madeas one fiat piece, and the channel-block can be made as a separatepiece, either a casting or of pressed sheet metal; and whether a castingor pressed sheet metal, it can be attached to the division plate, or itcan be assembled alongside the division plate in the measuring chamber.1 show the integral form in the drawing as it is the neatest, and thebest from the point of view of both user and manufacturer.

I claim:

1. In a disc meter, a measuring chamber having an inlet port and anoutlet port, and having a bearing; a disc-piston mounted in the bearingand arranged to nutate in the measuring chamber; the said piston havinga radial slot; a division-plate set in the chamber and in the saidradial slot to separate the inlet from the outlet port, the said platehaving on its inlet side a block shaped to deflect the inflowing waterinto the annular channel of the measuring chamber, the said block beingslotted in a vertical plane; and a pin mounted on the piston to co-actwith the slot in the block to guide the piston.

2. In a disc meter, a measuring chamber having an inlet port and anoutlet port, and having a bearing; a disc piston mounted in the bearingand arranged to nutate in the chamber and slotted radially; a divisionplate set in the chamber and received within said radial slot; the saiddivision-plate separating the inlet and outlet ports and having on itsinlet side a block shaped to turn the inflowing water into the annularchannel of the measuring chamber so as to relieve the piston bearing ofthe impact of the inflowing water.

3. In the measuring chamber of a disc meter; a division plate having onits inlet side a block shaped to gradually turn the inflowing water intothe annular channel of the measuring chamber, and a disk piston mountedWithin the chamber and arranged to nutate therein and provided with aradial slot which receives and straddles the division plate.

,4. In the measuring chamber of a disc meter; a bearing; a disc-pistonmounted in the bearing and arranged to nutate in the chamber; adivision-plate to separate the inlet from the outlet port of thechamber, the said plate having on its inlet side a block shaped togradually turn the infiowing water into the annular channel of themeter, the said block having a slot arranged in a vertical plane; and apin mounted on the piston and co-acting with the said slot to guide thepiston.

5. In a measuring chamber of a disc meter; a division plate havingapproximately midway of its length on its inlet side a block shaped togradually turn-the inflowing water into the annular channel of thechamber, and a disk piston mounted within the chamber and arranged tonutate therein and provided with a radial slot which receives andstraddles the division plate.

6. In the measuring chamber of a disc meter; a bearing; a disc-pistonmounted in the bearing and arranged to nutate in the chamber; adivision-plate arranged to separate an inlet and outlet port and havinga block shaped to turn the inflowing water into the annular channel ofthe chamber, the said block being located on the inlet side of thedivision plate as far as practicable from the center of the measuringchamber without obstructing the free inflow of water to the chamber; andthe said block having in it a vertical slot; and means mounted on thepiston and co-acting with the slot to guide the piston.

7. In the measuring chamber of a disc-meter; a bearing; a disc-pistonmounted in the bearing and arranged to nutate in the chamher; adivision-plate arranged to separate an inlet and outlet port and havinga block shaped to turn the inflowing water into the annular channel ofthe chamber, said block disposed on the inlet side of the division plateabout midway of its length, the said block having a slot on its sideaway from the water inlet port and as far as practicable from the centerof the chamber and. means mounted on the piston and co-acting with theslot in the block to guide the piston.

8. In the measuring chamber of a disc-meter; a bearing; a disc-pistonmounted in the bearing and arranged to nutate in the chamber; a divisionplate arranged to separate the inlet port from the outlet port of thechamber, a slotted block on the inlet side of the plate and midwayapproximately of its length, and shaped to turn inflowing water awayfrom the center of the chamber and into the annular'channel of thechamber; the said chamber being pierced above and below the slot; and apin mounted on the piston and coacting with the slot against thehorizontal thrust of the water on the piston.

9. A water meter including an annular chamber, a disk piston having a.bearing in the center of the chamber, the chamber having an opening inthe wall, a division-plate extending inwardly therefrom and dividing theopening into an inlet and outlet port, a block at one side of thedivision plate, said block forming a water directing surface and havinga housed groove therein,

the disk piston carrying an anti-friction roller 0 adapted to bereceived in the housed groove, whereby the nutations of the disk pistonare controlled by the up and down movement of the roller within thehoused. groove.

10. A water meter including an annular chamber, a disk piston having abearing in the center of the chamber, the chamber having an opening inthe wall, a division-plate extending inwardly therefrom and dividing theopening into an inlet and outlet port, a block at one side of thedivision plate, said block forming a water directing surface and havinga housed groove therein, the disk piston carrying an anti-frictionroller adapted to be received in the housed groove, whereby thenutations of the disk piston are controlled by the up and down movementof the roller within the housed groove formed in the division-plate.

WALLACE A. WHITE.

